Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, retold by Margaret Tarner for the Macmillan Readers Elementary Level, is a simplified version of the classic Gothic horror story specifically designed for English language learners.
Frankenstein
Mary Shelley
Macmillan Readers
Elementary Level – British English
“The lightning was all around me. I looked at the huge body. The silver light reached the hands, the
feet and the head. For a moment everything was quiet. Was it moving? No, yes! An arm moved, then a
leg. Then I heard breathing. Yes, the man was breathing. He was alive!”
There are films of this story.
CONTENTS
The People in This Story
1. I Go to University
2. The Secret of Life
3. The First Death
4. Home Again
5. The Monster’s Story
6. The Monster’s Request
7. I Begin My Work
8. My Wedding-night
9. Revenge at Last
I am the most unhappy man in the world. I have followed the Monster to this place of ice and snow. I
know he is near. I must find him. I gave the Monster life, but now I must kill him. Then I will kill
myself – I will die alone in this terrible place.
1. GO TO UNIVERSITY
My name is Frankenstein – Victor Frankenstein. I was born in 1810 in the beautiful city of
Geneva, in Switzerland. My father and mother loved me very much and my early life was happy. My
younger brother William was born when I was twelve years old.
Two years later, my dear Elizabeth came to live with us. She was the daughter of my father’s
best friend. When Elizabeth’s parents died, Elizabeth came to live with us in our house. I loved her
from that time.
I was a good pupil at school and always came first in the examinations. I was always interested
in science. I wanted to learn about human life. I wanted to learn more in order to help people. I
wanted to make their lives better.
When I was eighteen, my brother died. Before she died, my mother spoke to Elizabeth and
myself.
‘My children,’ she said, ‘I hope that one day you will marry. Then you my dear Elizabeth, can
look after little William.’
My mother looked at me and smiled.
‘My dear Victor, the family hopes that you will do great things,’ she said. ‘Soon you are going
to the University. I know you will work hard. Perhaps, one day, you will be famous. You have been a
good son and T can die happy.’
I cried when my mother died. But now I am glad that she is dead. My work has brought death
and sadness to the world. Because of me, the people I loved have died.
Three weeks after my mother’s death, I left Geneva. I was going to study at the great German
University of Heidelburg. I spent my last evening in Geneva with my friend, Henry Clerval.
‘You are lucky, Victor,’ Hendry said. ‘I wish I was going with you. But my father wants me to
work in the family business. You will become a doctor or professor. Your work will be known all over
the world.’
‘We shall always be friends, Henry,’ I told him. ‘I shall see you soon. We shall be together
again in the holidays.’
‘Write to me soon, Victor,’ Henry said.
‘Of course,’ I answered.
In the morning, I said goodbye to my father, to Elizabeth and to my little brother, William, I
was sorry to leave home. But I wanted to go to University. I wanted to study and to learn everything.
How I wished that I had never left Geneva!
2. THE SECRET OF LIFE
I was very happy at the University. I worked hard and my professors were very pleased with
me. I studied science – chemistry and medicine. I wanted to learn everything about the human body. I
also wanted to learn about the mind of man.
Most of all I wanted to learn the secret of life. What was difference between a living person
and a dead body? Why did a dead body turn to dust? Could a dead man come alive again?
I worked hard to find the answers to these questions. I read many old books. The writers said it
was possible to create life. They said it was possible to make a dead man live again. But the writers
did not say how it could be done.
I lived in a house in the old part of the city. I had a laboratory there where I worked alone. No
one knew what I was doing.
In the evenings, I read in my library. Sometimes I did not sleep all night. The months passed
and I forgot about my family and my friends. I had only one thought. I wanted to find the secret of
life.
I went to hospitals and watched men dying. I listened to their cries. I watched their bodies
grow old and ugly.
I paid men to steal bodies from graveyards. These men dug up the bodies from the ground.
They brought them to my laboratory at night. I cut up the bodies. Everywhere I smelt death – death
and blood.
People were frightened of me, but I did not. I knew that death would change them. Their blood
would stop moving. Their skin would become wrinkled and yellow. I wanted to help them. I was
working hard to find the secret of the life.
I bought blood from living men. Was the secret of life in the blood? I looked at men’s brains,
soft and grey. Was the secret of the life there?
Then, on night, there was a terrible storm. The sky was covered with black clouds. Thunder
crashed and the rain fell. Lightning flashed in the sky. Suddenly the lightning gave me an idea. I knew
what t had to do.
I began my work carefully. I took parts of dead men from hospitals and graveyards. I put the
parts together to make a human body. I was making a man – a huge man – the biggest, strongest man
who had ever lived. This man was going to come alive. I had found a way to create life. This man was
going to live.
He was a good-looking man. His face was handsome and kind. His huge body was strong and
well-made.
Day by day, I joined each part together. At last he was ready. He was ready to receive life. The
body lay on a table in my laboratory. I had joined the hands, feet and head to metal wires. These
wires went up to the roof of my house. Now I had to wait for a storm. When the power of the lightning
flashed down through he wires, the man would live!
A few days later clouds covered the sun. The sky became dark. I knew a storm was coming. I
opened the windows of the laboratory and waited.
Lightning began to flash and I heard thunder. A flash again and now the thunder was nearer.
Then the lightning was all around me. It flashed blue and silver. Thunder crashed and the room was as
light as day.
Suddenly it happened. The lightning hit the wires on the roof. The sparks of light came down
the wires. I looked at the huge body. The silver light reached the hands, the feet and the head. The
body was covered with a blue and silver light. For a moment everything was quiet. Was it moving? No,
yes! An arm moved ad then a leg. Then I heard breathing, yes, the man was breathing. He was alive!
The body moved and I went nearer. I held out my arms and smiled. The man sat up and turned
his head. His eyes were open.
Oh, God. What had I done? What had gone wrong?
The man’s skin was wrinkled and yellow. His eyes were yellow and dry. His thin, black lips
opened in a terrible smile. I had not made a man. I had made a Monster!
I ran out of my laboratory and down the stairs. I heard the slow, heavy footsteps of the Monster
as he followed me.
There was another flash of lightning. Thunder crashed over the house. I stopped and looked
back. The Monster was standing at the top of the stairs. Behind him were red and yellow flames. Fire!
My laboratory was on fire!
I gave a terrible cry as the Monster moved towards me. Then I fell down and everything went
black
3. THE FIRST DEATH
When I woke up, I was in a strange bed, in a strange room. I looked round in surprise. Where
was I? What had happened? I turned my head. Someone was sitting beside the bed. It was my dear
friend, Henry Clerval.
‘My dear Henry,’ I cried, ‘How glad I am to see you. But why are you here? What has
happened?’
‘Thank God you are alive, Victor,’ Henry said. ‘Your house was struck by lightning last night. A
fire started and the house was burnt to the ground. All your books and papers were destroyed. There
is nothing left of your laboratory.’
I smiled. ‘I don’t care, Henry,’ I said. ‘I was tired of my work. My ideas were wrong. But tell
me, Henry, what are you doing in Heidelburg?’
‘Your father sent me,’ Henry said. ‘When you did not write, he became worried. What is
wrong, Victor? You look very pale and ill.’
‘Nothing is wrong now,’ I said. ‘I was working too hard. But that is finished now. I don’t want
to talk about it any more, Henry. Tell me the news from Geneva.’
‘Everyone is well,’ Henry answered. ‘Your family send you their love. And I am coming to the
University to study. My father has agreed at last. I am going to study languages.’
I was very happy that Henry had come to Heidelburg. The past years seemed like a dream.
Thank God! The fire had destroyed the terrible Monster. I knew now that my work had been very
wicked. I hated science now. I decided to study languages with Henry.
The months passed. Slowly I became stronger and happier. I was a young man. I made friends
and began to enjoy life again.
Winter passed and Spring. Then in May, a letter came from my father.
